MARATHON

Fastest running: Only previous edition was won in 2:28.24 (11/2 miles) by Muhannak (Patrick Smullen riding) at Santa Anita, 2008.

Biggest winning margin: Head, Muhannak

Storyline: The longest Breeders’ Cup race, and perhaps the most minor, tests the kind of stamina that few American thoroughbreds are born with anymore. Europe-based Muhannak won it last year, but is 0 for 7 since thenas he tries for a repeat. England-raced Mastery will be a popular pick-six “single” on the assumption his solid 3-year-old form will transfer from his home grass to the synthetic main track at Santa Anita. Cloudy’s Knight, still winning at age 9, is the oldest horse in this Breeders’ Cup.

JUVENILE FILLIES TURF

RACE 4 (about 1:08 p.m.)

Purse: $1 million, $540,000 to winner

Distance: 1 mile (turf)

Eligible: 2-year-old fillies

Fastest running: Only previous edition was won in 1:35.15 by Maram (Jose Lezcano) at Santa Anita, 2008.

Biggest winning margin: Nose, Maram

Storyline: One of three grass-course races added in recent years to give turf-loving European horsemen more incentive to come to the Breeders’ Cup, it has an Irish-trained favorite in Lillie Langtry and an Italian-raced threat in Junia Tepzia. John Murtagh rides Lillie Langtry and appears to have the strongest hand among the foreign jockeys here today and Saturday. Of Interest: The filly In the Slips, on the also-eligible list, has switched from an English trainer to California’s Jeff Mullins.

Storyline: The race that almost always crowns the champion 2-year-old filly in North America is a real scramble on paper. Blind Luck got the nod as favorite from the morning-line maker after her victory in the Oak Leaf Stakes over this track. But some handicappers think the Santa Anita surface that week was helping come-from-behinders like her and hurting pacesetters like runner-up Always a Princess. Connie and Michael dominated her only start in Kentucky. Beautician is enigmatic after a troubled outing in Kentucky. Devil May Care won New York’s major prep.

Storyline: A few intriguing dynamics are at work here. Defending champion Forever Together is favored but might have tailed off this fall and looks vulnerable. Dynaforce, 8-1 on the morning line, has a sneaky chance for the upset because she could get the early lead without a challenge. It’ll be fun to see if Dynaforce jockey Kent Desormeaux can steal the race. Lots of bettors are talking about Midday, a rising 3-year-old from Europe. And Magical Fantasy has won four in a row on the local grass courses.

FILLY & MARE SPRINT

RACE 7 (about 3:02 p.m.)

Purse: $1 million, $540,000 to winner

Distance: 7 furlongs

Eligible: Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up

Fastest running: Only previous edition run at 7 furlongs was won in 1:19.90 by Ventura (Garrett Gomez) at Santa Anita, 2008.

Biggest winning margin: 4 lengths, Ventura

Storyline: Ventura will try to repeat as Filly & Mare Sprint winner, and she’s the first obvious contender for Garrett Gomez in what could be a very lucrative Breeders’ Cup for the jockey. But this year’s race could set up differently from the 2008 edition and blunt Ventura’s late charge. The lack of strong front-running speed in the field could play into the hands of the tactically versatile Informed Decision. An edge that jumps out of the past-performance chart on Informed Decision: The gray has six wins in six starts on synthetic tracks, though the East Coast-based filly has never raced on Santa Anita’s track.

Storyline: The heavyweight championship race for older females lost its star and 2008 winner when the handlers of undefeated Zenyatta chose to run her against males in Saturday’s Classic. Zenyatta owners Pam and Martin Wygod and trainer John Shirreffs still have a horse in the Ladies’ Classic in Life Is Sweet. But she may be overmatched against Music Note, a five-time Grade I stakes winner in New York, and Careless Jewel, a front-running gray who’s won five in a row since a debut defeat.

Kevin Modesti is a reporter for the Los Angeles Daily News and the Southern California News Group, covering the political scene in Los Angeles County. An L.A. native, he was a sports writer, columnist and editor for most of his career, and later an editorial board member, writer and editor in the Opinion section. He lives in the San Fernando Valley and is based in the Woodland Hills office.